Money in Pride and Prejudice

Throughout the entirety of the novel 'Pride and Prejudice' money is constantly a huge factor in the decision making and thought process of the characters.
The opening line of the novel, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife", is an immediate indicator that money is a central theme in this novel. As the rest of the novel progresses we are introduced to each character not by their name but by their income per annum. The first strand of the plot that is introduced is directly linked with money. The arrival of Bingley, a man of 5,000 a year, in Neatherfield is the first advancement of the plot and we see the lust of Ms Bennet for a man of such large wealth. The number one criteria for Ms Bennet in her matchmaking is Money. Money is so important to her as Longbourne is entailed away to Mr Collins. This means that upon the death of Mr Bennet, Ms Bennet and her daughters will be turned out of the house and left without property. The only fix to this inevitability is for the daughters to marry off before the death of there father. For Ms Bennet to uphold her high standard of living she therefore requires her daughters to marry into wealth. The position of women in this society dictates that without the security of marriage they will be bound to a life of a seamstress. The issue of women owning property and money is therefore also prevalent in this novel.
Money is also used to outline the social classes and structures that are clearly evident in this society and this novel. Darcy's wealth immediately puts him above all the other characters and makes him the center of attention as soon as he arrives at the dance. His wealth intimidates a number of characters but Lizzy is not one of these. Lizzy puts her focus more on the personality rather than money. Therefore money as helped create the unique character of Lizzy by separating her from the social norm of distinguishing class and judging the individual by money.